Amid renewed agitation against Ms Gillard’s leadership by former prime minister Kevin Rudd , Ms Gillard has recorded her best approval figures in seven months, and best net approval rating since May last year, largely on the back of a surge in ­support from female voters.

Labor’s primary vote has lifted by 2 percentage points to 34 per cent in the poll, taken over the weekend for Fairfax newspapers, but the government still trails the Coalition’s steady 45 per cent primary vote and would face a 3 per cent swing against it, and an electoral thrashing, if an election were held now.

The two-party-preferred vote split has narrowed to 53 per cent to 47 per cent in favour of the Coalition from 54 to 46 per cent three weeks ago.

Mr Rudd’s supporters argue he offers Labor a clear election winning lead if the contest becomes Rudd versus Abbott instead of Gillard versus Abbott with an improving, but still losing, poll performance.

But Ms Gillard’s improving standing with voters has pegged back the lead the former prime minister has held over his successor and may make it more difficult to build momentum for a leadership change this year.

Gillard strengthens hand with women

The Nielsen poll suggests women voters in particular have rallied to the Prime Minister in the past month, preferring Ms Gillard as Prime ­Minister 52 to 40 per cent over Mr Abbott, compared with 48 per cent to 42 per cent three weeks ago.

The primary vote split amongst female voters has also tightened noticeably in the past month, with the Coalition leading Labor on primary vote by just 42 per cent to 37 per cent, compared with 47 per cent to 32 per cent among men.

Male voters prefer Mr Abbott to Ms Gillard as prime minister on a 48 per cent to 43 per cent split.

The stronger female vote for Labor and the Prime Minister coincides with news of the death of the PM’s father, John Gillard, and with renewed questions about Mr Abbott’s aggressiveness towards women in his university days.

Overall, Ms Gillard now has a three point lead over Mr Abbott as preferred prime minister of 47 per cent (up 1) to 44 per cent (down 1).

Ms Gillard’s approval rating is up three points in three weeks to 42 per cent and her disapproval rating is down four points to 53 per cent, giving her a net approval of minus-11 points, up seven points.

This is Ms Gillard’s highest approval and lowest disapproval rating since May 2011 and continues a three-month trend.

Abbott approval rating at record low

Mr Abbott’s approval is down three points to 36 per cent, a personal record low. Disapproval is up two points to 59 per cent, a personal record high.

Mr Abbott’s net approval is down five points to minus-23 per cent, which Nielsen pollster John Stirton says is a new personal record low and the lowest for an opposition leader since August 2009 when Malcolm Turnbull was leader.

Labor’s primary vote has now lifted 8 percentage points off its catastrophic low of 26 per cent in May this year, increasing steadily by about two points a month.

The Coalition’s primary vote has fallen during the same period, but not as sharply. The opposition’s primary vote is down four points from its most recent peak of 49 per cent in May to 45 per cent.

Gillard pays tribute to father

The Prime Minister paid tribute to her father yesterday in her first public speech since taking a week off to mourn his death.

Ms Gillard thanked “the Labor family for all of the expressions of condolence and support that I and my family have received at this difficult time”.

“My father, John, was a great Labor man,” she said. “He came from the coalmining valleys of Wales, he came from a life of hardship, and he came with hope and courage and determination to make a life here in this land of wonderful opportunity – and he found that opportunity.

“He believed in public service. He always believed how important it was for people to give their lives to public service and to do good for others.

“He was a Labor man through and through. He believed in Labor, he believed in me, he believed in you, and your recognition of his ­passing has been truly heartwarming for me.”

In a stirring speech, Ms Gillard told the Queensland branch of the Labor Party, which was decimated in the state election, that it would be “on the front line in the fight to come in 2013”.

Queensland cuts offer avenue of attack

“For my part, I can promise you this: we are giving you a Labor ­program to work for, a plan for our nation you will be proud to fight for and defend.”

Capitalising on the big spending cuts announced by the Newman state government last week, Ms Gillard saying “Newman’s budget razor is Abbott’s curtain raiser” and contrasted the cuts with what she said was Labor’s approach.

“This is why I say to you in Queensland today, you do now have a special responsibility to Australians as a whole.

“You will be fighters on the front line next year, but you are already more than that.

“You are the sentries who can tell Australians what’s at risk, what could be coming.

“You’ve seen it. Tell your story. Make sure they know.

“Friends, the fight is on, it’s the fight of our lives, let’s get out there and win it.”

Treasurer Wayne Swan said in his weekly economic note yesterday that “governments at all levels have had to adjust to lower tax receipts in recent years”.

The federal government had responded in the past by “responsible and measured savings to target resources to where they are most needed”, and would need to “continue to find savings to deliver on our priorities in areas like education and disability reform”.

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BY Laura Tingle

Laura Tingle, The Australian Financial Review's
political editor, has worked in the parliamentary press gallery in
Canberra for more than 25 years. Laura has won two Walkley awards and
the Paul Lyneham Award for Excellence in Press Gallery Journalism and
has also been highly commended by the Walkley judges for
investigative reporting.

BY Laura Tingle

Laura Tingle, The Australian Financial Review's
political editor, has worked in the parliamentary press gallery in
Canberra for more than 25 years. Laura has won two Walkley awards and
the Paul Lyneham Award for Excellence in Press Gallery Journalism and
has also been highly commended by the Walkley judges for
investigative reporting.